Tool for opening containers having a beaded top

ABSTRACT

A tool for cutting open the tops of containers having beaded tops has first and second levers pivotally connected near one end with a first spring holding ends of the levers apart. A knife with curved and straight opposite sides is carried on the first lever which has two pivotally attached sections. The second lever has a fixed first jaw and carries a spring biased pivotable lever formed with a second jaw having a projecting tooth, which engages under the bead of a container and holds the second lever stationary, while the first lever draws the knife along the top of the container cutting the top and forming a peripheral turned up lip in the cut top.

O United States Patent [151 3,659,134 1 Kappler [4 1 May 2, 1972 [54] TOOL FOR OPENING CONTAINERS 3,514,853 6/1970 Kappler ..30 |4 HAVING A BEADED TOP 713,808 11/1902 Shallenberger ..30/3 X [72] Inventor: Karl Kappler, l-lauptstrasse 5, Pfinzweiler, Primary Examiner Andrew Juhasz wumembe'g Germany Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith 22 Filed; Man 30 970 Attorney-Polachek & Saulsbury [211 Appl. No.: 23,582 [57] ABSTRACT Related US. Application Data A tool for cutting open the tops of containers having beaded tops has first and second levers pivotally connected near one [63] 5 a y g 661 end with a first spring holding ends of the levers apart. A knife a with curved and straightopposite sides is carried on the first lever which has two pivotally attached sections. The second (g1 lever has a fixed first j and carries a p g biased pivotable lever formed with a second jaw having a projecting tooth, [58] Field of Search ..7/14.2, 14.25, 30/14, 15, 15.5 which g g under the bead of a container and holds the 56] Reterences Cited second lever stationary, while the first lever draws the knife along the top of the container cutting the top and forming a peripheral turned up lip in the cut top.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 2 I972 was 34.44 5% A 7' TORNE Y5 TOOL FOR OPENING CONTAINERS HAVING A BEADED TOP This application is a continuation in part of my copending patent application Ser. No. 661,103, filed Aug. 16, 1967, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,583.

The present invention involves improvements over double lever can opening tools of the general type described in such U.S. Pats. as Ser. Nos. 1,473,027 and 1,658,225. In the prior tools the top of a can is cut by a knife blade on a movable lever. The cut top is formed with a sharp edge and drops into the can when separation is complete. Frequently, as in the can opener of U.S. Pat. No. 1,473,027, the inner surface of the side wall is left with a sharp laterally protruding lip which is very dangerous and can cut the fingers of anyone handling the open can. An objection common to all the prior tool is their tendency to slip up and off of the can while in use.

In the present invention, these and other difficulties and disadvantages of prior can openers are avoided. According to the present invention The tool has two spring biased pivotally attached levers. The first lever is formed of two pivotally attached sections. One section carries a knife with a sharp point blade which penetrates the beaded top of a can or other container, and a sharp edge to cut the top of the can. The blade has a straight outer side and curved inner side. The straight side leaves the inner surface of the side wall of the can in smooth condition as the top of the container is cut. The curved side of the blade forms a curled turned up, rolled lip all around the cut out top. This rolled lip can be engaged by outwardly turned tips formed at outer end of two levers, or by tongs formed at ends of levers near their pivot. The other section of the first lever carries a resilient pad which presses against the bead and slides along the bead while the top is being cut. This pad urges the blade against the inner side of the bead. The second lever carries a first fixed jaw which engages inside the bead. A short pivotable lever is mounted on the second lever and carries a second jaw formed with a step which engages the outer side of the bead, and a projecting tooth which engages under the bead of the container. A second spring engages the second lever and pivotable lever and urges the second jaw toward the first jaw to hold the second lever stationary while the first lever draws the knife blade along the top of the container to form the cut edge with upturned lip.

The invention is explained in further detail in connection the drawing wherein: I

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a double lever tool embodying the invention, the tool being shown in open position with a cut out top of a container engaged on distal ends of the levers.

FIG. 2 is top plan view of the tool shown engaged on a can and in the process of cutting out the top of the can.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 3-3 ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 ofFlG. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the tool has two levers 2 and 4 pivotally attached together by a pivot 15 near one end. At this end of the levers are two jaws l6 and 17 which may serve as tongs for lifting up the wholly or partially cut out lid 8 of container 7. Coil spring 13 on pivot lv engages both levers and tends to bias them apart.

Lever 4 has two parts or sections pivotally attached by a bolt or pivot 18. The outer part 4' can be swiveled outwardly as shown by dotted lines in FIG. 1; At its inner end, part 4' carries a resilient pad l9 which slidably engages the outer side of bead 10 of the container when part 4' is in the closed, solid line position of FIGS. 1 and 2. When part 4' is closedit contacts abutments 26, 28' at opposite edges of part 4 of the lever.

A knifev blade 3 extends vertically downward perpendicularly to horizontal part or section 4" of lever. This blade has a concave, curved inner side 11 and straight outer side 11" shown best in FIG. 3. The blade. penetrates lid 8 close to head 10, when section 4 is in the open position to disengaged pad 19 from bead l0.

The other lever 2 has a fixed jaw 5 in the form of a pin located close to pivot 15 and extending downwardly to engage slidably inside of bead 10. A short lever 6 is pivotally attached to lever 2 by a pivot bolt 12. Engaged on this bolt is a coil spring 14 which tends to bias end 6" inwardly against stop member 30 formed on the inner edge of lever 2. A jaw 6 is formed at the other end of lever 6. This jaw is biased toward jaw 5 by spring 14. Jaw 6 is formed with a step 32 and a tooth 34. The step engages the outer side of head 10 while tooth 34 engages underneath bead 10 as clearly shown in FIG. 4. By this arrangement, jaw 6' cooperating with jaw 5 will hold the lever 2 stationary while lever 2 is manuallypulled toward lever 4, and knife blade 3 outs lid 8.

The clamping jaws 5 and 6 open only upon application of a force in the direction of arrow 20. This occurs automatically when the levers 2 and 4 open under the expanding action of spring 14. The clamping jaws close forcefully to grip the bead of the container therebetween while lever 4 is being drawn toward lever 2 as from the solid line position to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2 and indicated by arrow 21. While levers 2 and 4 are being pressed toward each other in direction 21, pad 19 slidably engages bead 10 but also holds flat side 11 of blade 3 against the inner surface of the side wall 7 of container 7 as shown in FIG. 3. Pad 19 exerts a pressure radially inwardly toward bead 10 when the pad is compressed. This has the effect of drawing blade 3 radially outward to the side wall and bead 10 of the container even though blade 3 may be forced into the lid 8 a slight distance away from the bead.

Levers 2 and 4 are manually pressed together with lever 4 being drawn toward lever 2 as shown in FIG. 2. The lid 8 is cut and an upwardly turned lip 23 is fonned peripherally thereon inside of bead 10. After levers 2 and 4 are manually released spring 13 moves lever 2 away from lever 4 in the clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2. Lever 6 swings outwardly or clockwise around bolt 12 against the bias in spring 14 as viewed in FIG. 2 to disengage jaw 6 from the bead while jaw 5 slides along the inner side of the bead. The step 32 and tooth 34 are drawn along the outside of the bead with tooth 34 remaining under the bead and held there by spring .14 to prevent lever 2 from slipping up off container 7.

Outer or distal ends of levers 2 and 4 are formed with outwardly turned tips 24,24. These tips can engage inside lip 23 of the cut out lid 8 as shown in FIG. 1 for removing the lid when the tool is removed from the container. Alternatively the cut lid can be engaged by jaws 16 and 17 after removal of the tool. The tool will be removed by manually turning outwardly both lever section 4 and lever 6, as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1. It may not be necessary to turn lever section 4 outwardly in all cases for removing the tool, but lever 6 will have to be turned outwardly manually to disengage tooth 34from bead 10. In mounting the tool on the container, lever section 4 will always have to be turned outwardly to permit application of the point of the knife blade to the uncut top of the lid close to bead 10.

By the arrangement described, the lid 8 is quickly, safely and automatically cutout all around the container. The inside surface of the container wall is left in a smooth, safe condition. The rolled lip or edge 23 of the cut out lid can be safely handled without danger of cutting the fingers. The cut out lid can be grasped by the tool at either end thereof. When jaws 16 nad 17 are used, the tool is operated like tongs for grasping the partially or wholly cut out lid.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for cutting open the lid of a container made of sheet material, said container having mutually perpendicular top and side walls joined together by a bead extending. peripherally all around the joint between the top and side walls, said tool comprising in combination: first and second levers; a first pivot pivotally joining the levers together near oneend thereof; a first coiled spring engages on said pivot with opposite ends of said spring engaging the levers at saidone end thereof and urging the levers apart to define a V- shaped configuration; said first lever having two pivotally 3 v joined sections a pointed blade with sharp cutting edge secured on one section of the first levervand extending perpendicularly thereto forentering and cutting said top wall; the

other section of the first lever having one end disposed near the blade to slidably engage said bead therebetween; said lever with one end of the third lever disposed near said first.

jaw; said one end of the third lever being formed with asecond jaw comprising a step to engage the outer side of said bead and is projecting tongue to engage underneath the bead; and a second coiled spring engaged on the second pivot and tending to urge said tongue and second jaw toward the first jaw, whereby the third lever can be turned manually'against bias in said second spring to move said second jaw away from the first jaw to define a space into which the bead can enter when said one end of the first and second levers overlays the top of the container, whereby the bead will be gripped between the first jaw and second jaw under bias of the second spring when the third lever is released so that the first second levers cannot then slip up off the engaged head, whereby the blade will cut the lid of the container along the bead when the first lever is pressed toward the second lever, and whereby the third lever will pivot sufl'iciently to release the second jaw from the bead to permit the first and second jaws to slide along the bead when the first lever is released, while the tooth remains engaged underneath the bead, and while the blade remains in place to continue cutting the lid whenithe first lever is again pressed toward the second lever.

2. A tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising a resilient pad on said one 'end of the other section for drawing said blade. radially outwardly against the inner sides of said bead and side a wall even though the blade may be initially inserted in said lid some distance away from the bead and side wall. Y

3. A tool as defined in claim 2, wherein said blade has a straight outer side and concave, curved inner side, whereby the inner side of the side wall is left in a smooth condition after the lid is cut by the blade, and whereby the lid is formed with an upturned, rolled lip as it is cut by the blade. 

1. A tool for cutting open the lid of a container made of sheet material, said container having mutually perpendicular top and side walls joined together by a bead extending peripherally all around the joint between the top and side walls, said tool comprising in combination: first and second levers; a first pivot pivotally joining the levers together near one end thereof; a first coiled spring engages on said pivot with opposite ends of said spring engaging the levers at said one end thereof and urging the levers apart to define a V-shaped configuration; said first lever having two pivotally joined sections a pointed blade with sharp cutting edge secured on one section of the first lever and extending perpendicularly thereto for entering and cutting said top wall; the other section of the first lever having one end disposed near the blade to slidably engage said bead therebetween; said other section of the first lever being pivotable away from the bead to release the engaged bead; a first fixed jaw on the second lever for engaging inside said bead; a third lever; a second pivot pivotally securing the third lever to the second lever with one end of the third lever disposed near said first jaw; said one end of the third lever being formed with a second jaw comprising a step to engage the outer side of said bead and a projecting tongue to engage underneath the bead; and a second coiled spring engaged on the second pivot and tending to urge said tongue and second jaw toward the first jaw, whereby the third lever can be turned manually against bias in said second spring to move said second jaw away from the first jaw to define a space into which the bead can enter when said one end of the first and second levers overlays the top of the container, whereby the bead will be gripped between the first jaw and second jaw under bias of the second spring when the third lever is released so that the first and second levers cannot then slip up off the engaged head, whereby the blade will cut the lid of the container along the bead when the first lever is pressed toward the second lever, and whereby the third lever will pivot sufficiently to release the second jaw from the bead to permit the first and second jaws to slide along the bead when the first lever is released, while the tooth remains engaged underneath the bead, and while the blade remains in place to continue cutting the lid when the first lever is again pressed toward the second lever.
 2. A tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising a resilient pad on said one end of the other section for drawing said blade radially outwardly against the inner sides of said bead and side wall even though the blade may be initially inserted in said lid some distance away from the bead and side wall.
 3. A tool as defined in claim 2, wherein said blade has a stRaight outer side and concave, curved inner side, whereby the inner side of the side wall is left in a smooth condition after the lid is cut by the blade, and whereby the lid is formed with an upturned, rolled lip as it is cut by the blade. 